IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head
(Meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)
From the Author:
Salutations.
I am JaiChai.
And if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance now.
For my returning online friends, "It's always great to see you again!"
My friend Norton is a Smart Guy; at least He Thinks So...(or How Ultra-Smart People are still very much Human)
I met Norton about nine years ago at a weekly local Bitcoin meet-up that I and another friend organized and held at our favorite neighborhood bar.
Norton immediately struck me as a curiously analytical kind of guy. He impressed me with his knowledge of the Bitcoin protocol (and probably was one of the very few people I knew at that time who actually read Satoshi's White Paper).
Since then, we've enjoyed many engaging conversations with each other over the years.
For example, about two years ago, Norton introduced me to "The Electric Theory of the Universe" - a very compelling, alternate theory of the cosmos.
The Electric Theory of the Universe presents some very interesting and plausible explanations for the many quirky, counter-intuitive phenomena that current physicists can not explain.
Ponder this.
If the Sun supposedly generates energy from within, why are there dark spots?
I mean, if energy was generated from within, any holes that expose what's beneath the surface should be brighter, not darker, right?
And why is there a strata of higher radiation miles away from the Sun?
Seriously? Isn't radiation supposed to dissipate, not increase, when travelling away from its source?
Additionally, the advocates of the Electric Theory of the Universe show how the discovery of the true properties of plasma changes everything.
See this video:
"Electric Theory of the Universe - Thunderbolts of the Gods (Official Movie)"
It's a fascinating 1:03:51 minute video.
To reciprocate, I got Norton hooked on an alternate "Theory of Everything"; that is, a theory that reconciles the macro world of Newtonian physics with the subatomic realm of Quantum physics.
Currently, "The Modified String Theory" by Michio Kaku is regarded as the best, most feasible "Theory of Everything" to date. However, a new "Theory of Everything" is gaining popularity and is called "Emergence Theory".
Neither random, nor deterministic, Emergence Theory states that reality is non-deterministic (possessing a capacity for free-will) and is composed of pure information.
See this video:
"Emergence Theory: A Layperson's Guide"
This 29:42 minute video is hilariously entertaining, thought provoking, and jam-packed full of new ways of thinking about reality, consciousness, and the inherent power of merely observing something (literally) into existence.
A treasure chest bounty of intriguing concepts (from recognized academic physicists) and a bunch of excellent videos about Emergence Theory can be found at: http://www.quantumgravityresearch.org/.
As I stated in the title of this article, Norton thinks he's a smart guy. His superior intellect makes him sound smug to most, but that's not really his true nature.
People who really know him well will say he's actually a funny, nice guy. It's just that his thoughts always seem to be from another planet.
In the end, I must confess that in many ways, I consider him to be one of my most intelligent friends.
But...
“It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.”
― Arthur C. Clarke
Norton Drinks Beer - A lot of Beer
I've taken Norton's car keys away from him and gave him a lift back home on several occasions.
A few days after one of his infamous multiple day, extended binge drinking periods, we sat down and discussed how the detrimental effects of on-boarding too much alcohol were impairing his health and daily living.
We also talked about how those extra empty calories from all the beer he ingests doesn't aid in his perpetual efforts to lose "a few pounds" - in reality, his beer gut.
When I confronted him with those facts, Norton jokingly snorts, "At least I'm not as fat as...(list of our more overweight friends)".
He's not so delicate when other people jibe him about his habits. In fact, many times I've heard him recite this famous quote from Winston Churchill:
"My dear you are ugly, but tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be ugly." - Winston Churchill
Norton is also an Avid Smoker -
Norton chain smokes - probably averaging 2-3 packs/day. That equals more than 2 cigarettes per every waking hour!
Given those facts, it's not surprising that Norton always has a painful, hacking cough.
When I asked him why he didn't quit, he chuckled and said,"JaiChai, quitting is easy. I've done it a thousand times! But every time I did, I could hear them sneaky buggers calling out to me in my waking and sleeping hours."
Ultra-Smart People are still very much Human -
It is true that no matter how intelligent people may be, they are still prone to the same human frailties as anyone else.
In Norton's case, maybe his intellect actually makes it worse because he can easily come up with thousands of "degrees of harmfulness" - each one being relative to the individual's predisposition and environment.
After my initial inquiries about his drinking and smoking, I left it alone and didn't revisit the issue again.
Weeks later, Norton surprised me with the below image and a little comment that reflects his weird sense of humor:
"You see JaiChai, I really am smart. And I can prove it. I only smoke cigarettes with this specific warning label!"
(Heavy Sigh)
By JaiChai
Thanks for stopping by.
Truly hope to see you again!
About the Author
Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.
In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he performed high altitude, free-fall parachute jumps and hazardous diving ops in deep, open ocean water.
After 24 years of active duty, he retired in Asia.
Since then, he's been a full-time, single papa and actively pursuing his varied passions (Writing, Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency - plus more hobbies too boring or bizarre for most folk).
He lives on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.